Commutator-switch.



No. 854,039. PATENTED MAY 21, 1907.

E. 1a.;rAooBso1\I.l

ooMMUTAToR SWITCH.

APPLIOATION FILED 82519112.1906.

UNITED STATES OFFICE; Y

EDWARD B. JACOBSON, OF PITTSFIELD,- MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO PITTSFIELD SPARK COIL COMPANY, OF PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS, l

A CORPORATION.

ooMMuTAToH-SWITCH; A- l lPatented May 21, 1907'.

T {1J/Z wiwi/ttt wwf/y concern/.z

Be it known that-I, EDWARD B, JAcoBsoN, a citizen oi the United States of'America, residing at Pittsfield, in the county of Berkshire and State of Massachusetts, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in CommutatorSwitches, of which the follow-A ing is a specification.

This invention relates to improvementsl in l i mined number of steps or notches-from the circuit closingv position or a certain number oi steps or notches from the zero position,

of the commutatorV element; the toothed wheel being so constructed that whenrotated into a certain position the circuit willl be closed as for example through the primary of an induction coil when the same is used on automobiles or fori other uses asl occasion may require.

In employing a commutato'r or toothedA wheel element in a switch 'forautomobilea the operator can safely leave his machine without any danger of the' same being ment or toothed wheel back to its circuitclosing position. By the'use of a commutator or toothed wheel element, practically all danger ofthe machine being started byany unauthorized person is avoided, as only the o erator can know the exact position he left t ecOmmuta'tOr element of the switch when the circuit is broken. f l .Inthe drawings forming part of this appli` for the base.

cation,'-Figure lisa top plan view of the switch similar to that shown in Fig. 1 of my prior patent. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view on the line 2,--2of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a bottom plan viewgsimilar to that shown in Fig. 5 of my said patent, also showingthc diagram ot wiring connections illustrating how the switch is used in practice'.

For the sake of clearance Figs. 1 and 3 are not shown solid black to represent insulation, as the sectional view shown in Fig. 2 suiiiciently explains the use of insulating material Referring to' these drawings in detail, a designates a base-piece oi the switch and made'of suitable insulating material, preferablyhard rubber, the under side of the same having a recessed portion b in which are carried the various termlnals and the commutator element. Y A

vc desi nates openings through the basepiece w or securing the same to a'suitable support'.

d, d, designates shortiarc-shaped contact pieces that are secured tothe upper side of;

the bSrPi/Ce 0, and over which the Contact" lever c moves, the lower; side of they same having awedge-shaped piec'ef that is adapt-iy j' yed to engage the V.shaped notches g in 'the' arc-shaped p ieces d, for the purpose of closing the electric circuit to either set `of batteries.

-These arcfshaped pieces are securedto the base-piece a by means of the threaded extensions h to receive the nuts i; one of thel nuts being used to secure the 'terminals to the' threaded extensions 7L, as readily understood.

The arc-shaped pieces are spaced a short distance from each other as clearly shownjin Fig, 1', and in my prior'patent at. Fi .V 4. The lever e connects either'o'ne of' the position, with one or 'the other of the arcatf teries 7' or k to the coil m according tov its l9'5 shaped. pieces d, andwhen the wedge-shaped' piece j is placed -so as to engage both of the c arc-shaped pieces, both batteriesy are 'conl nected in multiple to thespark coil Shown atm. i.'

'n designates a piece of insulating material securedto the lever e for operating the same.

o designates a rotatable shaft or spindle to which the contact lever e is pivoted.

vo is a washer loose on the spindle o.'` A

,. 10,5 p designates a milled head that is secured '4 to the spindle o for rotating the same. On .l the lower end of the spindle is secured a toothed wheel g in any suitable manner. To the lower side of the wheel q is secured a piece of conducting metal 7 havin an extenvsion portion s which forms part o one notch of the wheel g. The toothed wheel q is made of some insulating material, as fiber, and is adapted to be locked in various positionspby means of a spring-pressed pawl t that is mounted in a rectangular casing u; the

spring c being clearly shown in Fig. 2 betweenthe inner end of the rectangular Casin u andl the end of the pawl t'so as to normal y hold the pawl extended.

w designates a piece .of conducting material that is electrically connected with the rectangular casing u; the piece w serving `as a common vterminal. between the coil m and the two terminals i, i that are connected with the batteriesy'and 7c.' In practice the piece w is made flat, and the rectangular casing u is soldered thereto.

' The extension stripv s of the metal piece 1' is cut out so as to register with one of the V- shaped notches of the toothed wheel q so that when the spring-pressed pawl t engages the extension strip s an electrical contact is made from the spindle oto the spring-pressed pawl t and common terminal w. This isthe position the wheel g is placed when the engine is running.

When the operator leaves his machine, in order to stop the engine of the same he simply rotates the milled head p transmitting a rotary motion to the spindle o which carries the toothed Wheel g, movingl the same several notches from the circuit closing position shown in Fig. 3. When he Wishes to restart the engine he simply rotates the toothed :wheel g, as many notches back a ain as he turned it away from the circuit c osing ponotches from the part y'to the strip s' in ei her direction is the same. I

' t will therefore be seen that I have vided a switch that will prevent the mac ine being started by any unauthorized person', as the toothed wheel g can be placed 1nA a comparatively large number of diiferent ositions without closing the circuit through t e coil m.

What I claim is y 1. In a switch of the class described, a basepieCe, terminals secured to the same, one bemg a common terminaland the others battery terminals, and step-by-step mechanism Ibetween said terminals for connecting and head secured tothe rotatable shaft at one end and commutator mechanism secured to the opposite end of said shaft, locking means for ho ding said commutator mechanism in a plurality of positions, whereby an electrical circuit may be closed between said terminals.`

4. In a switch of the class described, a basepiece, a plurality of termnals secured thereto, one of said terminals bein a common terminal, a spring-pressed paw electrically connected to the common terminal, a toothed wheel of insulating material having one of its notches provided with a metallic margin, a rotatable shaft for operating said toothed wheel, the contact-lever ivotally supported on said shaft and adapted) to engage said termin-als, whereby when the shaft is rotated the toothed wheel may be placed in a plurality of positions for breakmg the electrical connection between said terminalspasdescribed.

v5. In a switch of the class described, a basepiece of insulating material, vand provided with a recessed ortionfa plurality of terminals secured t ereto, one of the terminals being a common terminal and the othervbattery-terminalacontact'- ieces s aced from eachother and connec-te Y to the attery terminals, 'a spring-pressed detent inelectrical connection with the common terminal, and commutator mechanism, engaging said pawl for vbreakingl the electrical connection between the terminals, the terminals, pawl and the recess, and means for operating the com-n mutator mechanlsm.

EDWARD T. ScULLr, PETER F. MCLAUGHLIN.

too'

IIO

commutator mechanism being located Within 1i-5 

